Student's Kuopio

There is a large variety of housing possibilities ranging from detached houses to smaller apartments. The city is expanding to south where the newest neighborhood since Saaristokaupunki, Hiltulanlahti, is being built at the moment.

There are approximately 12,000 state-subsidized (ARA) rental apartments around the city and also privately financed apartments on the market here in Kuopio.

The city-owned company, Niiralankulma Ltd, is the largest renter in the city with altogether about 6,400 rental apartments.

Student housing is offered by for example Kuopas (Kuopio Student Housing Company) and Tekman Tuki ry. You can find the application forms and further information on how to apply for housing on the companies’ webpages.

Information on housing

Leasehold properties

Rental apartments

Kuopas Ltd

Tekman Tuki ry

Services for movers

Kuopio is a vivid culture city where you can find for example the Kuopio Music Hall, The Kuopio city Theatre, various museums and numerous events.

The Kuopio Dance Festival is the most notable dancing event in the Nordic countries taking place annually in Kuopio. In addition, the Anti Contemporary Art Festival brings artists and enthusiasts of experimental and modern art from all over the world to Kuopio. To music lovers, for example the international wine festival and Kuopiorock have a lot to offer in the sunny summer of Kuopio.

Kuopio is known for its beautiful nature and great opportunities to be active. In Kuopio, you can go jogging or cross-country skiing in an ever-changing natural environment. In the winter, an ice skating track will be made to lake Kallavesi for the Finland Ice Marathon. The track will be in everyone’s use as well.

The Puijo region, only a short distance from the market square, provides great opportunities for jogging, cross-country skiing and for playing disc golf.

The Kuopio – Tahko region is a unique set-up even in Finland, as we have a university city and one of the largest travel resorts in the country inside one municipality. Tahko is about 50 kilometres from Kuopio and offers activities and possibilities for example for skiing, cross-country skiing, jogging, biking, bowling, horseback riding and golf.

There are to public swimming pools, two indoor ice rinks and the Kuopio Hall for many different activities, in Kuopio. The multiple gyms, other exercise locations, and the spas nearby also offer choices for everyone.

Culture

Sport facilities

Outdoor recreation

Tahko

Events

Kuopio offers young people a vivid city life and great learning and educational possibilities.

There are six high schools and an adult high school in Kuopio. In addition to the traditional high schools, the high schools in Kuopio offer versatile specialized education. It is also possible to study for a double degree.

In addition to the city’s own schools, the University of Eastern Finland, the Snellman Summer University, the Savo Consortium for Education (Sakky), the Savonia Univesity of Applied Sciences have campuses in Kuopio. Also the Emergency Services College and Kuopio conservatorium offer possibilities for education.

 The Finnish Olympic Committee has approved the education at the sports academy of Kuopio region (Kuopion alueen urheiluakatemia) being at the highest level in competitive sports.

The sports academy offers flexible possibilities to combining one’s sporting career and studying.

Educational opportunities in the Kuopio region

The highway 5 going from Helsinki to Lapland is the area’s main road. The distance from Kuopio to Helsinki is 400 km. It takes only 45 minutes to the Rissala in Kuopio airport from Helsinki by plane. The railway connections from the South, from the Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, as well as from the East from Joensuu and from the North from Oulu are good.

Kuopio has a well-functioning local transportation and every neighborhood and suburb can be easily reached by bus.

It is easy to move on foot or by bike around the year in Kuopio. The city has focused on creating better environments for walking and biking especially in the city center. There are over 200 km of routes and paths for walking and biking in the city.

The first electronic stationless city bikes in the Nordic countries, Vilkku city bikes, were introduced in Kuopio spring 2020. The city bikes are used through a mobile app that also locates the nearest available bikes and city bike stations. The prices for renting a city bike range from 5 to 50 euros depending on the desired rental period

Vilkku city bikes

Vilkku journey planner

Map service

Kuopio is surrounded by the lake Kallavesi and almost a third of its surface area consists of water. We have over 6,000 km of shoreline, which is about 60 m/ resident.

The city pays a great deal of attention to the wellbeing and recreational possibilities of its residents. Especially, Väinölänniemi and Valkeisenlampi are an important part of the local cityscape. In addition, there are park areas of over one are per resident in Kuopio.

The resident are free to use the outdoor areas and forests in the city area for versatile activities such as moving in the nature, camping and enjoying the nature. The city provides fishing lodges and typical Finnish shelters where you can rest, have a barbecue or make coffee along the routes and nature trails.

Nature conservation has long traditions in Kuopio, our oldest and most famous conservation area is in the Puijo forest. Preventing environmental damage and developing our living environment are key factors in our everyday planning and decision making processes.

Nature in Kuopio

Nature trails

Parks and greenery

Environmental awareness

The city’s social services offer support, help and advice in different social and economic problems.

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland – Kela is in charge of basic social assistance. In addition to basic social assistance, one may be eligible for supplementary or preventive social assistance that can be applied for through an online service.

Financial advice and debt counselling is offered by the legal aid office of North Savo.

In matters regarding crimes and disputes, help and mediation is offered by North Savo Mediation Office.

Social services

Social assistance

Family affairs, adoption, divorce

Mediation of crimes and disputes

Kela

Each resident has their own medical care team based on their home address. Reservations are made during office hours. When calling your team, you will either be given instructions for treatment or an appointment with a nurse or a doctor.

Medical on-call services during office hours are provided by the team doctor. Outside of office hours, at evenings and on weekends the emergency services are provided at KYS (at Puijonlaaksontie 2). Before coming to KYS, please call 116 117. In case of an emergency, always call 112.

Dental appointments are made by calling the centralized telephone service. Your need for treatment will be assessed during the phone call.

The city is in charge of the student health services for students studying at the comprehensive and secondary levels. Students may also turn to their own medical care team.

The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) is in charge of the student health services for university students as well as for students at the University of Applied Sciences.

Urgent Medical Care and Emergency Services

Non-urgent medical care

Oral health and dental care

Laboratory services

Sexual health services

The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS)

The city of Kuopio is the biggest employer in Kuopio. The city offers a job for nearly 7,000 people.

The city announces its open positions on its webpages and at Kuntarekry.fi (in Finnish). You can also submit an open application for possible vacancies, for example, at the city’s social and health centers, for substitute teaching positions or daycare centers.

The city of Kuopio offers possibilities for on-the-job-learning mainly for students. Nevertheless, you can apply for on-the-job-learning even though you are not studying. You can contact city offices or establishments directly and ask them about it.

The city hires tens of pupils and students for summer help between May and September. One must be at least 15 years old to be eligible for a summer job. Applications for summer jobs are also submitted online.

The city’s employment service helps job seekers who have been out of a job for a longer period of time.

Open positions at the City of Kuopio

Open positions in the communal sector

Substitute positions

Employment services

Opiskelijatoihin.fi

The City Council is the highest decision-making body in the city of Kuopio. The Council decides, for example, on the strategy and the budget. The City Council also appoints other City bodies and the highest City officers. The Kuopio City Council has a meeting once a month. The meetings are public and also available to be watched live online.

The City Board is responsible for the administration and financial management of the municipality and for all preparatory work and on executing the Council’s decisions. The Board also controls the legality of the Council’s decisions.

Boards and Committees are political bodies elected by the City Council and oversight the realization of public services in the municipality.

Every resident has a right to make motions for the city regarding matters affecting the city. Motions can be filed in electronically.

City Council

City Board

Get involved and make an impact

Decision-making

The City of Kuopio uses the following social media channels to share news and feelings from Kuopio.

Facebook Kuopio

Facebook KuopioInternational

Twitter Kuopio

Instagram Kuopio